Posted on 10/01/2020 1:47:10 PM PDT by Zhang Fei
HOUSTON Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner signed an Executive Order Monday authorizing a cite-and-release program for certain low-level, non-violent offenses, allowing officers to issue tickets for some Class A and B misdemeanors, instead of making an arrest.
The policy change will go into effect Tuesday at 6 a.m.
The cite-and-release program has been implemented in other cities where it has helped to reduce jail population, Turner said in a press conference Monday. He added that the move would improve response times by getting officers back into service, more quickly.
Cite-and-release is a more humane method of dealing with low-level offenders because the program gives them an opportunity to make changes in their lives and face responsibility for their actions without having the stain of an arrest or jail time on their record, Turner continued.
The City of Houston will adopt a program implemented by Harris County in February.
The following Class A and B misdemeanors are eligible for tickets instead of jail time:
Possession of a controlled substance, if the controlled substance is four ounces or less Criminal Mischief, if the amount of pecuniary loss is $100 or more but less than $750 Graffiti, if the amount of pecuniary loss is $100 or more but less than $2500 Theft, if the value of the property stolen is $100 or more but less than $750 Theft of Service, if the value of the service stolen is $100 or more but less than $750 Contraband in a Correctional Facility, if the offense is a Class B misdemeanor Driving with an invalid license
Turner said the citys Class C misdemeanors were being revised to take into account the policy change. Violent crimes would not apply.
One of the programs biggest proponents is Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo who said he has tried
(Excerpt) Read more at click2houston.com ...
Open season at Walmart or almost all retailers.
The Texas legislature should authorize owners or employees to use force, including deadly force, to prevent theft in any jurisdiction that does this.
Is this like theyre not going to lock somebody up and throw away the key for having a joint?
If thats the gist of it, I dont have a big issue with it.
No. This is like if you have under four oz of crack, that youre getting ready to sell, or light up...or, under four ounces of heroin that youre going to shoot up....you get a ticket.
Or, if you go to an Apple store and steal a $749.00 item, you get a ticket.
Aaand the price of insurance just went up in Houston and for some reason, shoplifting skyrocketed. What could it be?
Signed an Executive Order to allow people to commit crimes ,this idiot should be arrested
= = =
Agree!!
Can Gov Abbott override this, some how? Or, TX Leg?
“Between Mayor Sylvester and County Judge Hildago...this place is lost.”
And the rally evil thing about that statement is that Sylvester is better than stupid dyke he replaced. He’s a good mayor compared to her.
Just so long as they are all masked up. That’s showing proper respect and making sure they aren’t unconsciously murdering folks. Lots of freepers will no doubt agree.
Yet another reason I am happy to have left the cesspool known as Houston.
Get ahead of the curve and burn it down.
Houston is the Blanche Dubois of Texas. Once praised for its beauty, food, science, entertainment and bigger than life people, it now exists in the recesses of dark memories and failing dreams, growing old and feeble. Used and abused and reduced to depending totally on the kindness of strangers.
I barely recognize the Houston where I grew up.
The cite-and-release program has been implemented in other cities where it has helped to reduce jail population -- Houston Mayor Sylvester TurnerWhat could possibly be more important than reducing the jail population? How did such stupidity ever gain traction?
I want to see INCREASING jail populations everywhere.
Sounds like Houston needs a higher caliber citizen. Too many lowlife scumbags live there.
In San Francisco, the creeps come in with pillow cases and sweep things off the shelves straight into their bags. They are good at knowing when they are just below the $900 limit. Then they stroll out of the store like nothing happened. Clerks and customers just stand by and watch, mouths agape.
Democrats just want to know that drugs will be legal and they can still kill their babies they don't want.
How about blatant shoplifting?
That's if the police catch them. Armed citizens are an entirely different matter.
In Texas, at night, petty theft and criminal mischief can potentially justify deadly force. Only at night, for some weird reason.
“Houston is the Blanche Dubois of Texas. Once praised for its beauty, food, science, entertainment and bigger than life people, it now exists in the recesses of dark memories and failing dreams, growing old and feeble.”
I agree. I lived the area from ‘76-’96 and saw it progress as you describe. Visits to relatives in past few years confirm that the disintegration continues.
Well, obviously. But what happened to the crime rate?
Those crimes will be treated the same as always. They will still be prosecuted, they just won’t involve officers ferrying low level offenders back and forth all day. Those misdemeanors aren’t treated with immediate incarceration anyway. The offender is usually carried in, booked, posts his bond, or signs a personal recognizance and is released, or even taken back to his home. The officer being able to issue a citation on the spot helps keep the officers out on patrol. Not that I am a fan of either the police chief in Houston or the mayor, I’m not. They are both liberal jerks.
catch and release is a GOOD IDEA if......and this is a big IF....the list of offenses is VERY carefully drawn up.
Out in Californication, they release and do not usually prosecute if thefts are under $950 as I recall. Results in tons and tons more thefts from stores and parked cars....
It sounded reasonable, don’t waste everyone’s time and taxpayer money on the small stuff, thus releasing police and all the rest to concentrate on better prevention of the larger, more serious crimes. Sounds good, but....it did not work out at all well.
I would eliminate ATF for starters, since every enforcement action it takes is itself a crime against our country and our constitution. Send those personnel to Houston maybe to help the local police if they need help?
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